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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — final
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — a match
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — finally
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. last — to go on
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com